Through the implementation of SCPs, new partnerships between schools and community stakeholders were formed. Active participation in scientific, research and innovation processes, and involvement in the development of solutions to environmental issues as promoted by the MOST project, allows shared ownership of values related to sustainable development. Thereby, numerous and various actors in a community are involved in scientific work and gain insight into science education which allows all participating citizens to substantiate their science and environmental knowledge.
In total, 672 SCPs were conducted across 10 countries and thus 672 resulting ecological solutions were proposed and disseminated to a wide range of stakeholders.,. The project succeeded in involving a total of 78 974 participants, of which 23 113 were students, 2 443 teachers, 53 418 community members. The SCPs represented a large variety of projects and lasted from 1 day to more than 6 months. In addition, the regional MOST fairs and the European MOST conferencehave connected the Open Schooling communities in the regions and across Europe, moving the European Open Schooling network forward.
Within the SCPs, students were actively involved in environmental projects as problem-solvers, building up knowledge on sustainable development and on their role as responsible citizens. The SCPs offer students a space to learn, decide and act independently. Evaluation results show positive effects on student`s science literacy, perceived relevance and positive attitudes toward science and scientific careers, as well as an increased understanding of sustainability problems and enhanced awareness of their personal role in solving them. The complementary qualitative analysis of participants´ perceptions in the case studies provides evidence about how SCP provide meaningful contexts for applying mathematics and science content knowledge and skills to solve relevant local problems, and the extent to which this kind of project leads participants to develop interesting transdisciplinary skills in terms of teamwork, communication, creativity and critical thinking. Summing up, the project has had a real impact on SCP participants by building new partnerships between schools and community stakeholders, contributing to build up a more scientifically interested and literate society, as well as students with a greater awareness of and interest in science careers.
